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Crimson Dreams

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Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

He came to her in the night, a misty dream of seduction.

Heather Kincaid was a young girl in high school when her date hit a man with his car. She insisted they help, and only got abandoned on the dark road in the forest for her troubles. She saw something that night as she helped the injured man that would haunt her forever; to the point she thought she was insane. Repeated dreams about the mystery man only convinced her of it, making her swear to stay away from that place forever. Many years later, when her parents died, she returned to that place to settle her parents' affairs. Lo and behold she sees that man again when she arrives, and every night thereafter.

Devin MacAvoy has lived for centuries, never allowing himself to care about a human again, after a disastrous relationship hundreds of years ago. From the moment he sees her that fateful night several years ago, something about Heather draws him that he can't explain, making him want to break his vow to himself. So he waited, until she returned once again. When she did, he was surprised to find their bond every bit as strong as it was then. No matter how attached he is to her though, she can't ever know his secret, for he fears she will spurn him forever if she does.

Heather has never forgotten Devin, though she had finally convinced herself he was a figment of her overactive imagination. Finding out he was real, shocked her to no end, making her desire to be with him all the more. Devin knows Heather is the only woman for him and longs to be with her. But his secret holds him back. His has a life of secrets and mystery, for he is not human, but a form of vampire, and none can know the truth of his kind, for it almost killed him long ago. He wants to tell her the truth, but can she handle it? So he tries to win her affection in other ways.

His plans go awry though when one of his previous "donors" becomes obsessed with him. She is stalking him, and she begins to go after Heather, for she wants no one to be with him but herself. When her obsession gets dangerous, he must learn to have faith in Heather, trust that her love for him will see her through the shock of discovering his secret. If she can't then he'd rather die, for he too has grown attached to Heather. Dare he say it, he's fallen in love.

This was a fascinating book, with a slightly different kind of vampire for a hero. Devin is strong, yet fragile as well. His abilities make him powerful, but the even stronger power of love brings him to his knees. Heather is a fine match for Devin in that she has the strength and courage to stand up under the unbelievable facts of his kind. She is strong where he needs it, as he is where she needs it. They are in balance with each other.

This book is not an action packed one, though it has plenty to keep one interested. There is also a nice thread in the story, where Heather experiences the life of another young lady from centuries ago through her dreams. This adds to the tension in the plotline while she tries to figure out these strange dreams of hers, and why she is having them. It also adds some extra emotion as well, for the reader feels the poor girl's suffering through Heather.

Ms. Carter has woven a world here that could have been "cookie-cutter" if not for her different take on the vampire theme. This book will keep one reading from beginning to end, wondering what will happen next. This was the first book for this reviewer by Ms. Carter, but it captivated enough to influence the purchasing of more books but this talented author.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, August 2003. All rights reserved.

Recently turned eighteen, Heather Kinkaid was heading home with her date when she saw what seemed to be a man on the lonely mountain road. That night the first visit of her "dream-beast" occurred in her dreams. The creature came on other occasions too until her concerned parents returned with her to their year round DC home. For the next six years, Heather never returned to the family summer cabin and during that time no visitations happened.

With her mom dead from uterine cancer and her dad killed four months later in a vehicular accident that she knows was suicide, Heather struggles with her grief. However, she returns to the cabin to prepare it for sale. Almost upon arrival, she begins to see the telltale signs of her dream-beast. The next day someone tries to run her off the road, but a bird that changes into her dream-beast saves her. As she gets to know Devin, someone wants to use her as an expendable pawn to kill him. She would do anything just like he would to keep her beloved from harm, but she also wonders can a vampire and a human cross species even when love blossoms between them?

The lead couple not only makes vampires seem like a realistic humanoid species struggling to survive against the overwhelming Homo sapiens population, but also provides a relationship that is fun to follow. Though the villain once exposed seems weak, the story line is very exciting as love and danger become the norm. This terrific tale will send supernatural romance readers seeking other works by Margaret L. Carter (see DARK CHANGELING or www.amberquill.com).

Harriet Klausner